a new tool to play with

[hedgerow pete]

Over the years I have come to the point that some tools have none, and are only ever sold to idiots and shiney junkies.

Two case points are the large surform and the brickie.

Now whilst I can see the point I have never wanted to try either of them, prefering to use propper tools, until today after more than 40 years without ever soiling my hands, today I have found a use for the large surform, boat building. As a combined toy/humbug present/and any thing else I can think of for him.

I have started on my sons humbug present. It will be a large radio controlled boat. About 1 metre by 300mm square (three foot by one square in old english)

It will have a Celotex base that will get butchered into a foam form of shape resembling a boat!! Then it will get coated in fibre glass then a lot of the foam is coming out, a few timber grounds here and there and away we go a new model boat/submarine, depending if it sinks lol

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The only downside is I have to join another forum so I can work out how to set up the electronic controls and the motor etc. I must admit electric is simplest but a petrol one would be easier than 300 battery packs for the boat and would mean more fun for the days use for me sorry my son of course

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

Put a little weight low down in the bottom of the hull, so that it doesn't tip over and spoil all your electronics....

 

[JamezF]

I have a one-handed surform that I use occasionally when doing coarse carpentry, but I have to admit I've never used a large one.

Not sure what you mean by a "brickie" though.

James

 

[hedgerow pete]

I was thinking of a lot of weight to make it self righting the three top layers are going to have about a third chopped off. I am looking towards a sail boat bottom with a flatish/motor boat top half. If I go for a petrol engine rather than electric it would be better running the right way up, lol

 

[region2]

Bricky!

R2

 

[JamezF]

Blimey. I can't imagine anyone even thought of creating something like that. If you're *that* bad at laying bricks, you really should be paying someone else to do it.

James

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

See, what I would do is, drill some holes up from the bottom of the keel and insert some metal rods, a line of them running the length of the keel, may be some thick lengths pieces of re-bar. Then put a skin of fibre glass over the bottom...

Oh, and a sharper edges on the front and rear edges of your keel...

 

[hedgerow pete]

I have a lot of surforming to do yet.

the bits I have done so far was because I was bored waiting for the glue to dry, the main thing is to strip off the foil paper first as it hinders the surform and after that i have a lot of hacking to do then the surforming starts again.

the keel its self needs about 75mm off it before its shaped

the one thing i have seen is the cost of these hulls made from fibreglass on flee bay, maybe if these works as well as it should, I should use it as a plug and make some more to sell on ??

the main thing i have been told is to get the hull seen by an expert before i resin it all in just to make sure the curves are OK and the keel is square and straight and the hull is balanced from one side to the other. after that is passed off its two layers of fibreglass and the start of chopping the insides out.

 

[RoofTops]

This sounds like a new twist to the established method of making model boats called "bread and butter".*

My father spent the best part of a winter making a model liner for me which used a modified Mamod steam engine for power. It was a work of art but the engine lacked power so it looked the part but couldn't actually move in the water.

*Those who did not have a proper childhood should Google this phrase adding the words *model boat*.

 

[hedgerow pete]

when you have no idea on how to build a boat, it seams the right way to me, lol

 

[Hombre]

So that's you SURFOAMING then. Very apt. the very best cut I got from a large surform was when the serrated edge laid open the knuckle on my thumb during a moment's inattention.

My father built a diesel powered single screw destroyer with a tin-plate keel. It travelled heeled over from the torque and after it's maiden voyage it was consigned to the nether regions of a dark shed somewhere.